11/10/2023
Katy here. Full disclosure: I spent way too much time trying to figure out some social media safe ways to describe p**p that were 1) Accurate 2) Appropriate and 3) Wouldn't get us flagged on the internet.
We talk about p**p a lot here at Everything Raw. P**p is important and tells us quite a bit about what is going on in our dog's stomach. The basic things we tell pet parents when switching to raw are:
-Dogs on raw have smaller and harder p**ps because they are absorbing much more of the food than on kibble
-Harder p**ps are good because they also express a**l glands
And then there are conversations about p**p that are a bit wilder (and sometimes funny). But what does your dogs p**p say about their health? Here are some quick tips:
Does it look like small, harder pieces like #1?
Perhaps your dog isn't getting enough fiber or too much bone content. Its usually fixed with some extra fruit or veg to help get everything evened out. If that doesn't help, look at the percentage of bone in the food.
Does it look like #2? (Haha, get it?)
I hate to use soft serve ice cream as the visual, but it works. If your dog is consistently having soft p**ps (outside of illness or right after swimming), their diet might have proteins that are too rich for them (including extra organ meats) or not enough fiber.
Just like us, fiber is important for normal dog bowl movements. Remember: pumpkin is a great way to battle constipation and looser stools. Use plain pumpkin or a powdered version to help balance things.
#3 is just right!
If switching up the fiber, bone or protein content doesn't seem to work, your dog may benefit from a pre/probiotic blend to help the tummy build the gut's microbiome. The tummy controls the body in more ways than we think!
Do you use anything to help balance the gut?
